Friday, July 27, 2012

A Big Day At Castle Island

One of the most exciting things about the Boston Harbor is that you can never be sure what you will find there. On Wednesday, the Harry McDonough Sailing Center was visited by State Senator Jack Hart who represents the 1st Suffolk District, Ken Kopocis and his his team of community minded civil servants from the Environmental Protection Agency, as well as some massive lobsters our team hauled in from the sugar bowl. Stopping by Castle Island, Senator Hart and Senior Adviser Kopocis' attendance reflects the hard work done by the local non-profit groups and government action on both the state and federal level to clean up the Boston Harbor. The personal efforts these gentlemen and the actions of their institutions have provided a space where marine life can flourish and citizens from all walks of life can enjoy the water. Their meeting also symbolizes a continuing commitment to preserve our cities natural treasures for generations to come. Walking down to the floating docks, Senator Hart and our friends from Washington, DC could see first hand the rewards from the Harbor clean up effort. Local kids could be found swimming off the dock and examining captured marine life from our crab traps. These seemingly simple summer activities would not have been possible decades ago, due to the intense pollution in the Boston Harbor. Thankfully those days are now behind us, with South Boston boasting some of the cleanest urban beaches in the nation. As Ken Kopocis and his coworkers head back with full stomachs, (a Castle Island visit is never complete without a quick visit to Sullivan's) I am confident they will tell their friends in the Capital City about the wicked gargantuan New England lobsters they got to hold and the colorful children that they met in the heart of Boston. The future of the Boston Harbor certainly looks bright as our local and national leaders uphold the promise that everyone should have access to a clean Harbor.

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Welcome!

Save the Harbor/Save the Bayis a non-profit public-interest Boston Harbor environmental advocacy organization whose mission is to restore and protect Boston Harbor, Massachusetts Bay, the Boston Harbor Islands, the Boston Harbor region's public beaches, Boston's waterfront and the marine environment and share them with the public, for everyone to enjoy.

Since 1986, Save the Harbor / Save the Bay has been the driving force behind the transformation of Boston Harbor from one of the dirtiest urban harbors in America to one of the cleanest in the world.

As a result of our advocacy, Boston Harbor has been transformed from a "Harbor of Shame" into a source of recreational, educational and economic opportunity and civic pride. Today the beaches of South Boston are among the cleanest urban beaches in the nation, the Boston Harbor Islands are a National Park, and Boston's waterfront has become a compelling destination for residents and visitors alike.

Working with a broad base of civic, corporate, government, scientific, philanthropic and community partners, Save the Harbor / Save the Bay continues to strengthen the connections between communities and the harbor, and promote the increasingly important impact Boston Harbor has on the region’s economy.

Each year Save the Harbor / Save the Bay runs 2 freeYouth Environmental Education Programs that combine recreation and hands-on education to bring Boston Harbor alive for thousands of Boston area young people. Since 2003, we have connected nearly 250,000 youth and teens to Boston Harbor, the Boston Harbor Islands, our region's public beaches and Boston's waterfront.

Our "Boston Harbor Explorers" program serves thousands of young people at the Courageous Sailing Center in Charlestown, the Piers Park Sailing Center and Constitution Beach in East Boston, DCR's Carson Beach in South Boston, at Community Boating on the Charles River, on Black's Creek in Quincy, and at Camp Harbor View on Long Island and at The Boston Children's Museum.Our"All Access Boston Harbor"program departs weekdays from the Blue Hills Bank Pavilion in South Boston, and brings thousands of youth and teens from more than 100 community groups to Georges or Spectacle Island in the Boston Harbor Islands National Park on the Provincetown II.

OurBetter Beaches Program supports dozens of free events and activities on the region's public beaches each year in Nahant, Lynn, Revere, Winthrop, East Boston, South Boston, Dorchester, Quincy and Hull.

We hope we can count on you as we share Boston Harbor with 30,000 young people on 28 free island excursions and at 40 free events and programs on the region's public beaches in 2018.For more information about Save the Harbor/Save the Bay please visit our website at www.savetheharbor.org